Robert Morris University Illinois, formerly Robert Morris College, was a
private university
Private universities and private colleges are institutions of higher education, not operated, owned, or institutionally funded by governments. They may (and often do) receive from governments tax breaks, public student loans, and grant (money ...
with its main campus in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. It was founded in 1965 but its oldest ancestor was the Moser School founded in 1913.
It changed its name to Robert Morris University Illinois in 2009. In 2020, it merged into
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a private university with campuses in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university was named in honor of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
The unive ...
, which formed under it a new Robert Morris Experiential College as one of several colleges at Roosevelt.
Robert Morris offered associate and bachelor's degrees and was regionally accredited by the
Higher Learning Commission
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) is an institutional accreditor in the United States. It has historically accredited post-secondary education institutions in the central United States: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa ...
.
History
![Leiter II Building](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/17/Leiter_II_Building.jpg)
Robert Morris traces its history back to the founding of the Moser School of Business in 1913.
Robert Morris College itself was founded in 1965 in
Carthage, Illinois
Carthage is a city and the county seat of Hancock County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,490 as of the 2020 census, Carthage is best known for being the site of the 1844 death of Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint mov ...
as a two-year college, buying the former campus of
Carthage College
Carthage College is a private college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It enrolls 2,600 full-time and 200 part-time students.
Carthage awards bachelor's degrees with majors in more th ...
for $1.1 million after Carthage College had left Illinois for its newer Wisconsin campus.
[ Copy by the author at ] In 1975 Robert Morris expanded to Chicago by acquiring and merging the Moser School.
Robert Morris opened a
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...
campus in July 1988
and closed the Carthage campus in July 1989.
The college later opened campuses in
Orland Park
Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Will County. The village is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, Orland Park had a population of 58,703.
Located 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago ...
in 1991,
Naperville
Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city.
Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was established by the banks of the DuPage river, ...
in 1997,
Bensenville
Bensenville is a village located near O'Hare International Airport in DuPage County, Illinois, with a portion of the town in Cook County. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 18,813.
First known as Tioga, it was formally established ...
in 1999,
Peoria in 2000. The Orland Park campus moved to
Aurora
An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...
and became the DuPage Campus in 2001.
Waukegan
''(Fortress or Trading Post)''
, image_flag =
, image_seal =
, blank_emblem_size = 150
, blank_emblem_type = Logo
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_type1 = State
, subdivisi ...
opened as the Lake County Campus in 2003. The Graduate School was established in 2005 and became a separate campus in
Schaumburg
Schaumburg is a district (''Landkreis'') of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by (clockwise from the north) the districts of Nienburg, Hanover and Hamelin-Pyrmont, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (districts of Lippe and Minden-Lübbe ...
in 2008. Two more campuses followed:
Elgin in 2009,
Arlington Heights in 2011.
In March 2020, Robert Morris University Illinois merged with Roosevelt University to become one of its colleges.
Athletics
The Robert Morris athletic teams located at the
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
campus were called the Eagles. The university was a member of the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
(NAIA), primarily competing in the
Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference
The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Its 14 members are located in the Midwestern United States. In many sports, the ...
(CCAC) from about 1995–96 to 2019–20. Men's and women's ice hockey competed in their respective divisions of the
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated non-varsity programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes qualit ...
(ACHA). After the merger, the Roosevelt Lakers added football and ice hockey beginning in the 2020–21 season after acquiring Robert Morris's teams in those sports.
In 2014 RMU became the first university to offer gaming scholarships for a varsity esports team; they competed in ''
League of Legends
''League of Legends'' (''LoL''), commonly referred to as ''League'', is a 2009 multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for War ...
'', ''
Hearthstone
''Hearthstone'' is a free-to-play online digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. Originally subtitled ''Heroes of Warcraft'', ''Hearthstone'' builds upon the existing lore of the ''Warcraft'' series by u ...
'', and ''
Dota 2
''Dota 2'' is a 2013 multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) video game by Valve. The game is a sequel to ''Defense of the Ancients'' (''DotA''), a community-created mod for Blizzard Entertainment's '' Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.'' ''Dota 2' ...
'' competitions.
Sports sponsored
*Men's basketball was one of the dominant programs in the NAIA, having reached the Final Four of the NAIA tournament three times.
Othyus Jeffers
Othyus Jeffers (born August 5, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who had served as associate head coach for the Robert Morris University Illinois. Jeffers played college basketball with the University of Illinois at Chicag ...
, formerly of the
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast D ...
,
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...
, and
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
, played for Robert Morris during the 2007–08 season. Then-head coach Al Bruehl has averaged 30 wins a season during that time and has never won fewer than 25 games in his nine years at the helm of the Eagles. In 2014, the team again reached the final four of the
2014 NAIA Men's Division II Basketball Tournament
The 2014 NAIA Division II Men's Basketball national championship was held in March at Keeter Gymnasium in Point Lookout, Missouri. The 21st annual NAIA basketball tournament featured thirty-two teams playing in a single-elimination format. The c ...
.
*Men's bowling won the
Men's Intercollegiate Team Championship in 2013.
*Women's bowling won the Women's Intercollegiate Team Championship in
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada-California border, about north from Lake Tahoe, known as "The Biggest Little City in the World". Known for its casino and tourism industry, Reno is the ...
in 2014.
*Men's football began NAIA intercollegiate play in 2011 under the guidance of head coach Jared Williamson. They played at
Morris Field
Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT), typically referred to as Charlotte Douglas, Douglas Airport, or simply CLT, is an international airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, located roughly six miles west ...
(the old
Forest View High School
Forest View High School was a public secondary school in Arlington Heights, Illinois, operational from 1963 until its closure because of declining enrollment in 1986. The school mascot was Ferdie the Falcon, and the school colors were silver, ...
) in
Arlington Heights, and competed in the Mideast League of the
Mid-States Football Association
The Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the NAIA. Member institutions are located in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Missouri. The MSFA was organized in 1993, and on-field competition b ...
(MSFA).
*Men's ice hockey, under the guidance of former head coach Tom "Chico" Adrahtas (CSCHL Coach-of-the-Year 2010–11 & 2011–12), played in the
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated non-varsity programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes qualit ...
at the Division I level in the
Central States Collegiate Hockey League
The Central States Collegiate Hockey League (CSCHL) is Division I ACHA level hockey-college athletic conference. The CSCHL is in its 51st season of existence and is one of the top ranked ACHA leagues. It currently has 4 member teams in the Midwe ...
(CSCHL). The teams all practiced and played at the
Edge Ice Arena
The Edge Ice Arena includes ''The Edge on John Street'', ''The Water's Edge Aquatic Center'', and The ''Edge II Ice Arena'' a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Bensenville, Illinois. It had been used as the official training facility and ...
in
Bensenville
Bensenville is a village located near O'Hare International Airport in DuPage County, Illinois, with a portion of the town in Cook County. As of the 2020 census, the village population was 18,813.
First known as Tioga, it was formally established ...
. In addition, RMU fielded teams in Chicago at the ACHA Division II and ACHA Division III levels as independent teams. Robert Morris–Springfield and Robert Morris–Peoria fielded teams at the ACHA Division III and played in the
Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association
The Mid-American Collegiate Hockey Association (MACHA) is an ACHA club hockey league comprising colleges and universities in the Midwest.
Organizational structure
The MACHA is made up of three divisions, Gold, Silver, and Bronze. The Gold Div ...
. In 2014, the RMU-Gold team played in the ACHA Men's Division I National Championship game vs. Arizona State, and finished as national runners-up.
*Women's ice hockey, under the guidance of former head coach Jennifer Wilson, played in the
American Collegiate Hockey Association
The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) is a college ice hockey association. The ACHA's purpose is to be an organization of collegiate affiliated non-varsity programs, which provides structure, regulates operations, and promotes qualit ...
at the Division I level in the
Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA) is a non-profit ice hockey league for college club teams based at Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States schools. It was formed in October 1996. There are currently 14 teams par ...
(CCWHA). The Lady Eagles played at the
Edge Ice Arena
The Edge Ice Arena includes ''The Edge on John Street'', ''The Water's Edge Aquatic Center'', and The ''Edge II Ice Arena'' a 3,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Bensenville, Illinois. It had been used as the official training facility and ...
in Bensenville. The team played a roughly 35-game schedule against ACHA Women's competition as well as games against
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
Division I &
Division III
In sport, the Third Division, also called Division 3, Division Three, or Division III, is often the third-highest division of a league, and will often have promotion and relegation with divisions above and below.
Association football
*Belgian Thir ...
opponents. Beginning in the 2010–11 season the team joined the
Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association
The Central Collegiate Women's Hockey Association (CCWHA) is a non-profit ice hockey league for college club teams based at Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States schools. It was formed in October 1996. There are currently 14 teams par ...
. The team won Women's ACHA Division I National Championships in 2005 and 2007 and were runners-up in 2006, 2008, and 2009.
Branch campus athletics
The university's branch location
Robert Morris–Peoria were members of the
United States Collegiate Athletic Association
The United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) is a national organization for the intercollegiate athletic programs of 72 mostly small colleges, including community/junior colleges, across the United States. The USCAA holds 15 nationa ...
(USCAA). Roosevelt's Peoria campus joined the USCAA by inheriting RMU Peoria's membership in that association.
Robert Morris–Peoria Eagles
Sports included baseball and club football.
*Women's softball had much success at Robert Morris–Springfield, winning the USCAA National Championship in 2006 and 2010, reaching third place in 2007, and reaching second place in 2008 and 2009.
Notable alumni
*
Marshall Kent, professional bowler on the
PBA Tour
The PBA Tour is the major professional tour for ten-pin bowling, operated by the Professional Bowlers Association. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, over 3,000 members worldwide make up the PBA. While most of the PBA members are Regional profess ...
References
{{authority control
Universities and colleges in Chicago
Universities and colleges in DuPage County, Illinois
Education in Lake County, Illinois
Universities and colleges in Peoria, Illinois
Universities and colleges in Springfield, Illinois
USCAA member institutions
Educational institutions established in 1913
Educational institutions disestablished in 2020
1913 establishments in Illinois
Defunct private universities and colleges in Illinois